How one Medicine Hat family struggled to get their daughter to eat at an early age

It's a parent's worst nightmare. For Ron and Michelle Pisoni, it was their reality.

From the time of her infancy until she was a three years old, the Pisoni's second daughter Kalista refused to eat.

Knowing something was wrong the Pisoni's sought answers from the medical community, but to no avail.

"Basically the doctors said she'll just grow out of it or eventually she'll start eating," Ron said.

It was a frustrating time for the family, receiving no concrete answers, the Pisoni's not only faced the unknown but also came under the scrutiny of medical professionals.

Michelle recalled a time when a nurse pulled her aside in the hospital and said, 'how could you not feed your child?'

Produced by Donella Swan, Danielle Samrau and Hannah Kost

At times like this, Michelle said she felt like a complete failure as a parent.

The Pisoni's never received any definitive diagnosis for their daughter's unusual behaviour. The doctor's prediction – that Kalista would eventually begin to eat – did eventually come to fruition, but the family never truly knew why she had refused to eat for the first three years of her life.

Today, Ron and Michelle's daughter is a healthy and thriving 15-year-old. The family wanted to share their experience in hopes that other families in similar situations would know they are not alone.